Telephone toll-box



8 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. L.; CASSARD. TELEPHONE TOLL B0X.

No. 4251161. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

.A TTOHNE YS e neus co., moro-1mm, yusnna (No Model.) y 3 sheets-sheet 2. H. L. GASSARD.

TELEPHONE TOLL BOX. No. 425,161. PatentedA 128.1890.

..713 Cassamo ATTORNEYS (No Model.)

H.'L. GASSARD. TELEPHONE TOLL BOX.

Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

- 3 Sheets-,Sheet 3.

@9.3. 1` m H A w/TNESSES.' Im' Hlm, nu' /NVE/vrpff.- dm v i I I jilaocssa'cz I MM BY m i W ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. OASSARD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TELEPHONE TOLL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,161, dated April 8, 1890.

Application iiled October 19, 1889. Serial No. 327,592. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. CAssARD, of Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Telephone Tolldoxes, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices which are designed to be attached to telephone-boxes for the purpose of exacting tolls from persons using the telephone, and which boxes are constructed with a coin slot and chute into which a coin is to be inserted, and which coin serves when inserted to throw the telephone into circuit and render it operative. Heretotore such devices 'have been so connected with the telephone-boxes as to involve such alteration and adaptation of the telephone-box, circuit-connections, and mechanical appliances within the subscribers box as to be objectionable to telephone companies on account of such changes.

My invention contemplates no change whatever in any of the inclosed features of the telephone-box, and proceeds byintrodncing the toll-box and its appliances in the circuit-- wire of the receiver, which extends from the telephone-box to the receiver outside of said box, and which can be easily applied or removed without disturbing` any of the interior arrangements of the subscribers box.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of such extraneous circuit-closing devices and the means for connecting the same with and operating it by the suspension-hook for the receiver, as hereinafter fully described.

Figure l is a perspective view of my tollbox applied to the telephone-receiver support, the door of the toll-box being removed. Fig. 2 is a front view of the toll-box with the door removed from its hinges, showing a modication of the device in its application to the suspension-hook ot the receiver. Fig. 3 is a side view of the telephone-box with the connecting devices shown in Fig. 2 applied thereto.

A is the toll-box, which may be made of any desired shape or material, but is preferably formed as a castdron rectangular box with a hinged door. In the back of this box is fixed a non-conducting or insulating rubber plate B, upon which the electrical connections are mounted.

O isa chute which depends from a slot opening through the upper end of the box. J ust below the lower end of this chute there is fixed to the insulating-plate an inclined rest c, consisting of a metal plate, to the outer side of which is attached a guard-plate b by means of a binding-post c. Near this rest is arranged the shortend of a lever D, extending through the side of the box. fulcrumed t0 an insulated plate E, and its inner end is pulled down and its outer end is pulled up by a spiral spring d, a stop e on this plate serving to limit the upward movement of the outer end of the lever.

F is a binding-post mounted upon the rubber plate and insulated from the other connections. Where the leverD projects through the side ot the box, there is a slot which permits the vertical play of the lever.

H is a lever-arm fulcrumed to the side of t-he toll-box and resting at rightangles across the outer end of the lever D. This arm is provided with a soft-rubber sleeve s at its end, which is arranged to rest just beneath the forked suspension-hook J, upon which the receiver is hung. rlhis suspension-hook has This lever is l the usual contact-points within the case, and

has a gravitating motion when the receiver is hung thereon, which cuts out the receiver and local battery and throws in the call-bell. When the telephone is in this condition of disuse, the suspension-hook forces the arm H down, and with it the lever D, as shown.

The operation of the device is as follows: It will be understood that my toll-box is interposed in the length of the twisted duplicate cord leading from the telephone-box to the receiver. The duplicate cord from the telephone-box comes in one side of the box, and one cord goes to the binding-post P on the lever-plate E and the other cord y goes Yto the binding-post F below and lpasses at y out the other side of the case to one pole of the receiver. The other cord x from the re. ceiver goes to the binding-post on the coinrest. Now when the receiver is taken oft the the suspension-hook and the outer end of lever D rises, as shown by dotted lines, the

IOO

lever-arm H also rises in response to the spiral spring d, and the inner end of lever I') is thrown down toward the coin-rest. The instrument is now in condition for operation, except that the circuit of the receiver is broken. This is closed by dropping a coin or its equivalentin the slot. This coii1,descending the chute, falls upon the inclined rest d, and is prevented from falling outwardly by the guard-plate I), and is prevented from dropping down by the inner end of lever D. This coin in this position establishes connection between the broken ends a; and ai ofthe receiver-cord and brings the receiver into operative condition, so that communication is possible. Then the receiver is hung up after use, the descent of the suspension-hook forces down arm H and lever D, and the inner end of the latter in rising releases the coin, dropping it into the box and breaking connection again between thesectionsw ai of the receivercircuit.

It may sometimes happen that after a eustomer has deposited his coin he may not be able to get the use ot the line on account of its occupation byanother subscriber. In that case the customer reports the fact to the owner of the oiiice or store, and the latter is enabled, after a few minutes waiting, to give his customer the use of the line by a private shunt circuit and switch without'. the depositin g of any further pay. For this purpose two wires IV IV extend, respectively, from the coin-rest and the lever-plate E to a switch S, located at a distance or out of the observation of the customer, and the proprietor by closing this switch at will can close the receiver-circuit independently of the deposit et a coin.

In case it is more convenient or desirable to place the toll-box at a lower position in relation to the telephone-box, connection between the levers D and H may be made by a pitman or connecting-rod G, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

'lhe only difference between the construetion shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. l is, that in Fig. 2 I place the spring d above and on the righthand side of the ulcrum ot` lever D, instead of below and on the left-hand side, as in Fig. l. In Fig. 2 also wire a: goes to the coin-rest and to lever D, while in Fig. 1 .r goes to the coin-rest and .r tothe lever D. In both eases, however, the circuit is made or broken between the wires and 12' by either the coin or switch in precisely the same manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A telephone toll-box having a pair of terminals adapted to be closed by a coin or its equivalent, combined with and interposed in the extraneous portion of the circuit-wire ru 11- ning from the telephone-box to the receiver, the broken ends of which circuit-wire are connected to the coin-closed terminals oi' the tollbox, as described.

2. The combination, in atelephone toll-box, of a pair of terminals adapted to be closed by a coin or its equivalent, a circuit-wire extending from the telephone-box to the receiver and having a break whose terminals are electrically connected to the,coin-closed terminals, and a shunt-circuitalso electrically connected to the coin-closed terminals and provided with a switch, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a telephone toll-box, the combination ot a coin-chute, au inclined rest-plate ltor the coin, with a guard-flange on its outer side arranged beneath the coin-chute, an arrestinglever D for the coin, havinga spring for holding its inner end down in position to arrest the coin, and the circuit-wire of the receiver, having one end connected to the coin-rest plate and the other to the coin -arresting lever whereby the circuit to the receiver is completed through the coin, substantially as shown and described.

si. The combination, with a telephone tollbox having a broken circuit from the receiver arranged in the same, and a lever D, for closing the circuit by arresting a coin in transit, of a hinged arm II, disposed at right angles to the lever D and immediately above the same and arranged beneath the suspensionhook of the telephone-receiver, to be depressed by the weight ol the receiver to hold the coinarresting lever et the toll-box out of operation, substantially as shown and described.

HARRY L. ASSAR'D.

Witnesses:

G. W. S. )[UsGnAvE, LEONARD B. NALLEY. 

